Blog Posts by CookingLight.com

Take the ho-hum out of a basic chicken breast with these versatile sauces. All are made with 6 or fewer ingredients.

White Wine Sauce
This classic sauce deserves a place in your repertoire. It takes everyday dishes up a notch with a touch of elegance and lots of flavor, yet very little effort. Pair it with a sautéed chicken breast, a tilapia filet, or a pork loin. It's also good on pasta.

Pantry Checklist:

• Onion
• Chicken broth (fat-free, less-sodium)
• Dry white wine
• White wine vinegar
• Butter
• Fresh chives

  View Recipe: White Wine Sauce

  Parsley Pesto
  No-cook! A nice twist on traditional basil pesto, this version uses flat-leaf parsley for a fresh, herbal flavor. Great on pastas, bruschetta, pizzas, and sandwiches, this pesto is just as versatile as the classic.

  Pantry Checklist:

  • Flat-leaf parsley
  • Toasted pine nuts
  • Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese

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Improve mood, boost energy, and satisfy cravings with these healthy snacks recommended by our registered dietitians.

Chocolate Hazelnut Bark
Science says snacking is good for you. The 5,000-subject-strong National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey found that people who ate snacks in addition to three meals a day had higher levels of nutrients in their diets.

Smart homemade snack: Dark chocolate with nuts (139 calories)
Benefits: Chocolate contains polyphenols and flavonoids, two types of antioxidants shown to help prevent damage caused by cholesterol in arteries.

Rx: Chocolate?

View Recipe: Chocolate Hazelnut Bark

Warm Cranberry-Walnut Brie
Don't deny yourself. When Belgian researchers told 68 women to either enjoy or refuse their favorite snack, the refusers ate more of the forbidden snack once they were given the green light a day later. Sensible snacking helps you avoid bingeing.

Read More: Hip Dips and Spreads

Read More: Snacking Strategies

Read More »from Beat the blues with 12 healthy snacks

We'll show you the healthiest choices (and splurge-only dishes) to help you order wisely at Chinese restaurants.

China's cuisine is as vast as the country itself, ranging from sublime vegetarian dishes to earthy meals using hair-raising animal parts. Here, though, many Chinese restaurants offer a mix of regional and Chinese-American-tasty food but nutritionally all over the map. We analyzed six Chinese entrées from real U.S. restaurants to help point you to healthier choices. Nutrition numbers are estimates: Results vary widely according to portion size. If sodium is a concern, ask the kitchen not to use added salt, and watch your intake the rest of the day. Your fortune: Healthy choices are in your near future.

Read More: How To Cook Chinese at Home

Cooking Class: Stir-Frying

Smart Chinese Food Strategies Sodium is a major concern in Chinese-American cuisine-one tablespoon of soy sauce has about 1,000 milligrams. Reach for the low-sodium (about 500 mg) bottle, if

Read More »from Best (and worst) picks at a Chinese restaurant

Cooking Light's nutrition experts share news and views from the American Dietetic Association's national conference. By Kathy Kitchens Downie, MS, RD

Kim Cross1. Chips can make a decent snack. When you're tired of popcorn as your go-to whole grain snack, Frito Lay's Scoops are a good alternative: They fit the crunchy, salty snack bill, plus their first ingredient is whole corn. Not bad for a chip.

Read More: Healthy Office Snacks

2. Nutrition labels may be off. Way off. A food package's Nutrition Facts panel can lawfully be printed so the sodium value can vary by 20 percent. For example, if a package says one serving contains 480 milligrams of sodium, then your intake could be between 384 to 576 milligrams per serving!

3. Forget good-to-bad ratios when it comes to fats. The polyunsaturated fat linked to healthy heart beats and lowered blood pressure3, omega-3 fatty acids are still the "in" nutrient. Ratios between omega-3s and omega 6s are "out," meaning many nutritional scientists

Read More »from 6 nutrition surprises

We were surprised-and delighted-to perfect some frying techniques that fill the bill for healthy eating. By Julianna Grimes

Upon tasting a perfectly fried food, people often swoon and exclaim, "It's not greasy at all!" as if that were a miracle. And we've said it, too. Yet even with the ungreasy evidence in our hands, we instinctively regard a perfect beer-battered shrimp or French fry as a fat bomb. But here's the happy truth: If you fry in the right oil and follow our guidelines carefully, fried foods can have a place in a healthy diet. Science shows how proper frying minimizes oil absorption while creating that sublime, toasty crust. In our Test Kitchen, six breaded, fried catfish fillets and a basket of hush puppies absorbed only ¼ cup oil! It's all in the technique.

Read More: 10 Nutrition Myths, Debunked

Although it's true properly fried foods aren't as bad as once thought, frying should be an occasional treat. A few critical factors to keeping fat and calories in

Read More »from Healthy frying—really!

Recover from exercising with meals that combine the right balance of protein and carbohydrates. By Dana Angelo White, MS, RD, ACT/L
Randy Mayor

Refuel and Recover
What you eat after a workout matters! No matter what time of day you exercise, the key is to follow up with meals that combine protein, which helps your muscles recover, and carbohydrates, which replenish energy stores. For best results, eat within 30 to 60 minutes after exercise, when muscles are most receptive. During this window, an increase in enzyme activity makes the body more efficient at storing glucose for energy and building protein in fatigued muscles.

Read More: Fitness-Friendly Snacks

Homemade Sports Recovery Drink
This combination of banana, milk, and yogurt makes for a fresh and satisfying sports recovery drink. Dairy products like milk and yogurt work double duty, providing both protein and carbohydrates. Bananas are packed with potassium and magnesium―powerful electrolytes for healthy muscle

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Light, sweet, and easy to make, find 15 recipes for homemade sorbets.

Randy MayorFresh, Creamy Sorbets
The beauty of sorbet lies in its simplicity: It's basically just frozen water or juice sweetened with fruit, chocolate, liqueur, wine, or even fresh herbs. Unlike sherbet and ice cream, sorbet typically contains no dairy, making many of these recipes a good choice for anyone who is lactose intolerant or vegan. From fruity strawberry sorbet to decadent chocolate sorbet, find the perfect recipe to satisfy your cravings for a frozen treat.

1. Pineapple Sorbet
Make the most of fresh pineapple and cool down on a hot summer night with this deliciously smooth and creamy pineapple dessert.

View Recipe: Pineapple Sorbet

Read More: Ultimate Summer Desserts

2. Pink Grapefruit Sorbet
In this refreshing palate cleansing sorbet, sugar tames the tartness of grapefruit juice. And with just two ingredients, it could not be simpler to prepare. A serving delivers about

Read More »from 5 Refreshing Homemade Sorbets

One dish CAN please both picky kids and gourmet grown-ups. These recipes can be tweaked for each. By Monica Bhide

One Dish, Two Ways
It's the classic family dinner dilemma: Finding a dish your kids will eat and you can enjoy, too. Don't dumb down your dinner or cook separate meals. Just pick recipes that can adapt easily for both picky eaters and sophisticated palates. Use each of these nutritious recipes as a starting point, then add a playful twist for a kid-friendly meal and an upscale adaptation for a gourmet dinner you'll love.

See More: How to Stretch Your Food Budget

1. Grilled Teriyaki Shrimp Kebabs
Top-rated by readers, these simple kebabs are sure to please kids. (Who doesn't love a meal-on-a-stick?) If you don't want to fire up the grill, sauté the shrimp and veggies in pan, or try a grill pan.

For Kids: Sweeten the marinade by adding orange juice. Boost the veggie quotient by adding bell peppers, broccoli, or onions to your skewers.

Read More »from Kid-Friendly Recipes (That You'll Love, Too)